Rotary engine.



' E. PISHERJB.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY23,1910.

L. mm r. 1m B N 1%! 08 Don RT Th T p3 NS AM Hi A S M2 .5 Z n v! m MB h a WITNESSES:

flaw. 4/.61

E. FISHER, JR. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23 191.0.

988,992. Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. 27' WITNESSES. INVENTOI? 50%. EmanueZFzshen J' ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

EMANUEL FISHER, JR., OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 FREDERICK S. PECK, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMANUEL FISHER, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in R0- tary Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention has reference to motors of the impact type, and its object is to provide a rotary motor which may be driven by steam or any other fluid, the same having means for automatically varying the piston area, said varying motion being afi'ected by an eccentric member whereby as the pressure is reduced in using the steam expansively,

the effective area of the pistons are correspondingly increased. This eccentric member is also arranged to reduce the area of the exhausting pistons for the purpose of discharging the steam before taking in a fresh supply.

This invention is an improvement on my co-pending application Serial Number 559,325.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed in accordance with my invention, the casing and certain other parts, hereinafter described, being shown in section. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the engine. Fig. 3 is a detail, partly in section, showing a group of mechanism and the spring which controls the outward movement of the pistons due to centrifugal force. Fig. l is a collar against which one end of the controlling spring abuts. Fig. 5 is a detail of the eccentric which controls the relative movement of the pistons. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the cross key through which the momentum wheel acts upon the collars to control the cutting off of the pistons. Fig. 7- is one of the connection rings or collars which engage the eccentric.

In the drawings, the casing of the engine comprises a cylindrical member 10 which is mounted upon or formed as a part of a suitable base 11, end plates 12 and 13 being se- Specification of Letterslatent.

Application filed. July 23, 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Serial No. 573,573.

cured to the central member as by bolts 1 t. Mounted in gland bearings in the said side, members is a shaft 15 to which is keyed, or otherwise secured, the rotary piston member 16. For convenience of assembling and for operating the cut-offs hereinafter described, this piston member 16 is made in two parts as shown in Fig. 2, said parts however being secured together, as by keys 17, or otherwise, so that the two parts may be considered as one. Said piston member is formed in its periphery with recesses or pockets 18, one surface or wall of each pocket, as at 19, being hereinafter referred to as the impact. surface.

In each pocket a cut-off plate 20 is suitably hin ed as at 21.. and a link 22 is connected 1 by a pin 23 to the opposite end of said plate, the other end of each link being connected by a pivot 24 between two disks or collars 25 and 26 which are rotatively mounted on an eccentric 27. This eccentric 27, see Fig. 5, is connected to a sleeve 28 by which the eccentric is rigidly keyed as at 29 to the casing portion 13, said eccentric being therefore non-rotary or, in other words, stationary. A cross-shaped key, see Fig. 6, is provided with one elongated member 30 which extends through a recess 31, see Fig. 1, in shaft 15, and its outer ends engage corresponding slots 32-32, see Fig. 7 in the plate or collar 25, which slots are wide enough to permit the eccentric motion of said collar around the shaft. The short cross bar portion 33 of this key is located on the inner side of the hollow shaft 15 and is engaged by the slotted end 34: of the shaft 35 which has a momentum wheel 36 secured to its outer end.

As shown in Fig. 1 the aperture 31 in the shaft 15 is wide enough to permit the collars 25 and 26 to have a limited movement of rotation on the eccentric relatively to the shaft 15, and consequently'relatively to the piston member 16 which is keyed on the shaft. A spring 37 is coiled about the shank 28 of the eccentric and has one end abutting against an abutment 38 on the collar 26 and the opposite end abutting against an abutment 39 on the setting washer 4:0. This washer, see Fig. 4, is provided on its periphery with a series of keyways .11 adapted to engage a key 42 in the other half of the, piston member 1.6. This collar is also provided with apertures 42 for the reception of a spanner wrench whereby when it is desired to set up or adjust the spring 37 and regulate its tension to control the position of the pistons at a given speed, it is only necesary to withdraw the collar from the key and turn it a notch in either direction when it may again be inserted into position and locked by thekey as before.

The casing is provided with a number of inlet ports, as indicated at 43, 44 and 44 and an exhaust port 45, the port 44 being designed for the admission of steam at a lower pressure than that entering through the port 43. A passageway 46 is also provided for transmitting steam from one portion of the wall of the casing to another portion, so that the steam may escape from one pocket, and return to act again, but of course at lower pressure, through another inlet or port 47. This passageway may then continue around so that the steam may also enter another inlet port 48 also at low pressure. Exhaust passageways 49, see Fig. 1, are provided to permit steam to pass to the exhaust port 45.

The structure described is such that the steam after the first impact, passes around with the rotary piston member and as each recess reaches the first end of the passage 46, some of the steam is thrown out and continues to travel along said transmission passage 46 so as to reenter again at lower pressure through the ports 47 and 48, thereby enabling me to utilize such force as the steam possesses after it has first acted but continues on its way to escape at the final exhaust 45.

In Fig. 1 I have indicated by full lines the relative positions of the parts when the engine is at rest, and the dotted lines when the engine is running normal. It will be noted that the action of the eccentric 27 causes the effective area of the pockets or recesses to be reduced on the high pressure side of the engine where the steam enters at highest pressure, that is made relatively smaller than those on the opposite side of the piston, so that as the steam is expanded in the various passageways and its pressure is diminished at ports 47, 48, the effective piston area is increased. Then after the energy of the steam has been spent this eccentric causes the plates to move outward to reduce the area of the recesses and force the steam therefrom as they pass the final exhaust port 45, leaving said recesses comparatively free to take in a fresh supply of live steam when again presented to the high pressure ports. As the engine gathers speed centrifugal force tends to throw all the cutoff plates outward to or toward the dotted line positions. This, through the links 22, slightly rotates the collars 25 and 26 on the eccentric 27 and also the key 30 and of course also rotates the spindle 35 and the momentum wheel 26 until a balance is secured between the outward pressure due to centrifugal force of the cut-offs and inward pressure due to the steam in the pockets or recesses. When this balance is attained, the

parts will remain at somewhat the inter same speed as before, causes the key 30 to assume the relative position indicated by full lines in Fig. 1. Since said key must carry with it the disk collars 3 5 and 36, the result is to instantly draw the cut-0H plates inward and so increase the piston or impact areas 19, thereby enabling the engine powerto suflice for the load put upon it. As soon as the normal speed has been regained, the spring 37 again causes the momentum wheel and cut-01f plates 20 to assume the position of balance between steam pressure tending to force the plates 20 inward, and centrifugal force tending to force said plates outward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a rotary engine, a piston member provided with recesses having fixed side walls to receive impact of fluid, movable members to vary the effective area of the impact walls, and means for actuating said movable members in and'out during each revolution.

2. In a rotary engine, a piston member provided with recesses having fixed side walls to receive impact of fluid, movable members to vary the effective area of the impact walls, and means for automatically actuating said movable members in and out during each revolution.

3. An engine having a rotary piston member provided with a plurality of recesses having fixed impact walls, movable cut-offs in the bottoms of said recesses, and means whereby said cut-oifs are varled 1n position during every revolutlon.

4. An engine having a rotary piston mem-" ber provided with a plurality of recesses having fixed impact walls, movable cut-offs in the bottoms of said recesses, and positive means for causing said cut-offs to change their positions during every revolution.

5. An engine having a rotary piston member provided with a plurality of recesses having fixed impact walls, movable cutofl"s in the bottoms of said recesses, and positive means for giving to said cut-offs an opening and closing movement at each revolution of said piston.

6. An engine having a shaft, cylinder and a rotary piston member all concentric, said piston member being provided with a plurality of recesses having fixed impact walls,

movable cut-offs in said recesses, and a stationary eccentric for giving to said cut-offs ing to said cut-offs an opening and closing movement at each revolution of said piston, and means whereby the relative positions of said cut-offs are determined by a balance between centrifugal force and steam pressure.

9. An engine having a shaft, cylinder and a rotary piston member all concentric, said piston member being provided with a plurality of recesses having fixed impact walls, movable cut-offs in said recesses, an eccentric for causing said cut-offs to close some of said recesses more than others, and connections whereby the relative positions of said outofi's are determined by a balance between centrifugal force and steam pressure.

10. In an engine, a casing having a plurality of ports of different capacities, a rotary piston member mounted in said casin said piston member having a plurality of peripheral recesses, one wall of each recess forming an impact surface, and positive means for increasing the capacity of some pockets over that of others.

1.1. In an engine, a casing having a plurality of ports of different capacities, a rotary piston member mounted in said casing, said piston member having a plurality of peripheral recesses, one wall of each recess forming an impact surface, movable cut-offs in said recesses, and connections for varying the position of said cut-offs.

12. In a rotary engine, a piston member provided with recesses having fixed side walls to receive impact of fluid, movable members to vary the effective area of the impact walls, a stationary eccentric, and connections whereby the rotation of the piston member actuates said movable members in and out during each revolution.

13. In an engine, a shaft, a rotary piston member secured to said shaft and having peripheral recesses, cut-off plates pivotally mounted in said recesses, and connections for controlling the positions of said plates, said connections including a disk mounted on a fixed eccentric for giving to said cut-off an opening and closing movement at each revolution of said piston, links connecting said disk with said plates, and means for 'arying the position of said disk rotatively on said eccentric.

14. In an engine, a shaft, a rotary piston member secured to said shaft and having peripheral recesses, cut-off plates pivotally mounted in said recesses, means for giving to said cut-offs an opening and closing movement at each revolution of said piston, a disk mounted on said shaft and having means for permitting it to have a limited rotative movement on said shaft, and links connecting said disk with the cut-off plates, said disk limiting means comprising a spindle mounted in said shaft, a key carried by the spindle and connected with the disk, and a momentum wheel carried by said spindle.

15. In an engine, a shaft having a longitudinal aperture, a spindle mounted in said aperture and having a momentum wheel, a disk mounted on said shaft and connected with said spindle, a spring coiled about the shaft and having one end connected to said disk, a rotary piston member secured to the shaft and having the other end of said spring connected to it, aid piston member having peripheral recesses, means whereby the tension of said spring may be adjusted, and cut-off plates in the recesses of said piston member, the cut-off plates being operatively connected with said disk.

16. In an engine, a shaft having a longitudinal aperture and a transverse aperture, a spindle mounted in said longitudinal aperture and having a momentum wheel, a pin connected to said spindle and projecting through the transverse aperture, a disk mounted on said shaft and connected with said pin, a rotary piston member secured to the shaft and having peripheral recesses, cut-off plates mounted in said recesses, links connecting said plates with said disk, and an eccentric for giving to said cut-offs an open and closing movement at each revolution of said piston.

17. A rotary engine having high and low pressure ports, and a rotary member having peripheral recesses, one wall of each of the recesses forming an impact surface, and means for automatically varying the effective areas of said surface, connections being provided for increasing said areas as the recesses pass from the high to the low pressure ports.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMANUEL FISHER, JR.

IVitncsses HowAin) E. BARLOW, E. I. OGDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

